Recent pegmatite-hosted spodumene discoveries in Western Australia: insights for lithium exploration in Australia and globally

Abstract

The discovery and development of world-class Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) spodumenebearing pegmatites in Western Australia underpins growth of a significant new sector of its mining industry. Recently, several new spodumene discoveries have been delineated in the Yilgarn and Pilbara Cratons. Contrary to exploration narratives that new economic mineral discoveries will generally be made at increasingly greater depths, beneath barren cover rocks, or in remote geological environments, all new lithium discoveries have clear surface expressions in relatively 'mature' greenstone belts. The exploration implication is that the search space for pegmatite-hosted spodumene deposits in Western Australia remains immature. These recently discovered LCT pegmatites have geological features relevant to exploration including their age, amphibolite-facies metamorphic setting and synmetamorphic timing, and 3D geometry, particularly their typically gentle dips, that match other such world-class pegmatites globally. Further spodumene discoveries within pegmatites at or near surface are likely in the Archean terranes of Western Australia based on these consistent exploration criteria and supportive capital market conditions.

Geotechnical slope design in hard rock lithium deposits

“…Lithium-rich pegmatites include the important lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite family, highly peralkaline varieties and the metasomatic deposits associated with pegmatites. Lithium pegmatites are typically intruded during later stages of tectonic activity related to plate convergence (Phelps-Barber et al 2022). In these settings, the pegmatites may be emplaced during deformation and regional metamorphism or after these events (Bradley et al 2010).…”

“…Lithium pegmatite deposits in Australia are typically located in greenstone belts(Phelps-Barber et al 2022), some with associated granite intrusions. All occur in relatively competent regionally metamorphosed host rocks of upper greenschist to amphibolite facies.…”

Editorial

“…These kaolins formed in a supergene environment and this research determined that they are suitable for use in the manufacturing of thin-walled hollow bricks. The final paper in this issue is by Phelps-Barber et al (2022), who outline recent pegmatite-hosted spodumene lithium mineralisation in Western Australia. These discoveries have a number of similarities that provide useful exploration criteria as well as outlining the potential for further Archaean pegmatite-hosted lithium discoveries in this region.…”